


A Baby Just Like You

by Brumeier



Series: Life With Eli [2]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Family, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 12:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2773709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A foot chase on Christmas Eve leads to a startling discovery that changes Jim's and Blair's lives...for the better!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Baby Just Like You

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the song of the same name by John Denver.

Jim wondered if he should be jealous that Sandburg was making goo-goo eyes at another man. Of course, the other man wasn’t so much a man as a newborn baby swaddled in blankets and receiving fluids through an IV. They’d been almost inseparable since Jim had discovered the poor little thing wrapped in newspaper in a dumpster while chasing a suspect down an alley; that had cut the chase short and the Christmas Eve Bandit would live to steal again another day.

“He’s getting his color back,” Sandburg said. He stroked the baby’s tiny forehead with one finger, careful not to dislodge the little blue knit cap. 

The infant was in a bassinet fitted out with a heat lamp, and Jim knew it was a miracle the little guy was even alive. The temps had dipped down into the mid-thirties the last few nights, and it had been raining off and on. The closed lid on the dumpster was probably the only thing that had given the baby a chance to be rescued. That, and luck. If anyone other than a Sentinel had run down that alley the story wouldn’t have had a happy ending.

The three of them had the room to themselves; so far no other Christmas Eve babies were waiting to be born, at least not at Cascade General. There’d been a little girl there an hour or so ago, but she’d since been discharged along with her parents.

Someone rapped on the window of the nursery, which Jim had his back to, and it took a half second for him to identify that it was Simon; by scent, primarily. He got up from his seat. “I’ll be right back, Chief.”

Simon stood out in the hall, his overcoat damp from the rain. “How’s the baby doing?”

“Better than they expected. He’s responding well to the IV.”

“The social worker should be here soon. Crime lab is going over the dumpster to see if the person who dropped the baby in there left anything else behind that could identify them. And I have uniforms canvassing the area, see if anyone saw anything.” Simon ran a hand over his head and sighed. “I hate pulling people in on Christmas Eve.”

Jim nodded. The PD operated with a skeleton crew during the holidays, which was why he and Sandburg normally volunteered to work; at least that way they were still spending Christmas together.

“Why don’t you and Sandburg head on home? It’s late, and hopefully all the troublemakers are snug in their beds waiting for Santa.”

“I don’t think I’ll have much luck getting him out of here,” Jim said. He looked at Sandburg through the glass, could hear him murmuring to the baby about how much he had in common with another baby born at Christmas.

“Already attached, is he?” Simon shook his head. “I don’t envy you.”

The elevator down the hall dinged and the doors slid open. A woman stepped out wearing a bright red slicker and matching rain boots, a clear plastic rain bonnet secured over her curly black hair. She carried an enormous purse on one shoulder. Simon waved her over.

“Captain Banks? Eva Gonzalez, Department of Social Services.”

They shook hands, and then Simon introduced Jim. “Detective Jim Ellison. He’s the one who found the baby.”

Eva clucked, shaking her head. “Poor little _bebé_. I wish I could say this was unusual.”

“Who throws their baby away like so much garbage?” Jim asked, and found that the anger he’d felt upon discovering the baby in the dumpster was flooding back. “On Christmas!”

It wasn’t like there weren’t places the mother could’ve gone. The firehouse, the hospital, the police station – any one of them would’ve taken the baby and made sure he got immediate medical attention. But to carelessly toss him in amongst rotting, festering garbage…that was impossible to understand.

“What happens now?” Simon asked.

“Well, ideally the baby would be placed with a foster family.” Eva leaned against the nursery window, looking in. “The timing isn’t ideal, what with the holidays. He’ll have to spend some time at the Children’s Home once he’s well enough to be released.” 

Jim frowned. “The Children’s Home?”

“It’s just temporary, I promise. We’ll make every effort to track down the parents, but in cases like these we don’t generally have much luck.” Eva turned to Jim and gave him a sympathetic look. “We’ll find a good family for him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to the baby’s attending physician.”

“I’ll walk with you,” Simon offered. “We’re all invested in how he’s doing.”

“That’s nice to see.” Eva smiled at both of them, and then she and Simon headed for the nurse’s station.

Jim turned back to the window, watching Sandburg. He was still touching the baby, maintaining physical contact with the little guy much like he did with Jim when he was acting as his Guide. For some reason that set off an ache in Jim’s chest and he rubbed at it absently as he tuned in to what Blair was saying.

“…bad rap. The way I see it, the guy was a hero. There wasn’t room for Mary and Joseph anywhere in town, but he found a space for them that was warm and out of the elements. He did the best he could under the circumstances.” Blair traced each finger on the baby’s tiny right hand, which he’d pulled out of the mitten sleeve of the tiny shirt he was wearing. “If you’re lucky you’ll find someone to do the same for you. I gotta tell you, it’s a pretty nice feeling. Jim took me in six years ago when I had nothing and he changed my life for the better, so I know it can happen.”

“Mine, too,” Jim whispered. Six years ago he never imagined how much that curly headed punk would change him. Now he was in a committed relationship, he and Blair had a house together just outside the city, and he’d finally settled into his identity as a Sentinel. As close as he and Blair were, though, they’d never talked about kids. Hell, they hadn’t even been able to commit to having a pet. But now…now he was thinking about it.

“Good news,” Simon said, startling Jim out of his reverie. “The doc says the baby only has to stay overnight. Ms. Gonzalez will take custody of him then.”

Jim shook his head. “No.”

“No? What do you mean, no?”

“I mean no, Simon. We’ll take him. Blair and I.”

“Jim, you just can’t –”

“We can expedite the application. We’re definitely qualified to be foster parents.”

“That’s true,” Eva said. She rejoined them, digging through her monstrous purse. “We can’t get anything officially approved until after the holidays, but if Captain Banks will vouch for you that’s good enough for me. Even lowly public servants like myself know about your spotless record, Detective Ellison.”

“Are you sure about this?” Simon asked. “Have you even talked to Sandburg?”

“I’m sure.” And amazingly it was true. Jim was filled with certainty that he was doing the right thing.

Eva thrust some crumpled papers at him. “Here’s the application. I’ll swing by tomorrow before the baby gets discharged, so have them ready.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll notify the staff so they don’t give you a hard time. Oh, Detective? You might want to think of something to call him besides Baby Doe.” Eva threw him a wink. “That does it for me, gentlemen. _¡Feliz Navidad!”_

Jim stared at the paperwork in his hand. A life-altering decision reduced to just a few pieces of paper and the right collection of signatures, but it still felt like the right thing to do. Why hadn’t he ever realized how much he wanted a family? Not that he and Blair weren’t a family, because they were. Jim always had an affinity for kids, especially the troubled ones they encountered on the job, but he’d always thought that he was one of those guys who would never settle down, never find someone who understood him. Kids were never a blip on his radar, even when he was married. 

“Jim? You okay?”

Jim nodded. “I couldn’t let him go to an orphanage, not on Christmas.”

Simon clapped him on the shoulder, a smirk on his face. “You’re getting soft in your old age.”

“Sandburg would tell you I’ve always been this way.”

“Well, he probably knows better than I do. Merry Christmas, Jim. I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Simon.”

“Good luck. You’ll need it.” Simon clamped his unlit cigar between his teeth and strode toward the elevator, passing by the nurse that was making a beeline for the nursery.

“Detective,” she said as she breezed past him.

Jim followed her in, standing by the door while she checked on the baby.

“His color is better,” Blair said, stepping aside to give her room. “Should he be sleeping this much?”

“Poor little thing’s been through a lot. But he’s awake now.”

The baby started crying, a raspy little wail that had all of Jim’s possessive instincts rising to the fore. He had to physically keep himself in place instead of rushing to the bassinette and pushing Nurse Janice out of the way; she’d removed the IV line, which had very effectively woken the baby up.

“He’s responding very well. I think we’ll see if he’ll take a bottle.” Janice scooped up the baby and deftly transferred him into Blair’s arms.

Blair looked momentarily startled, but then he visibly softened. He curled over the baby, cooing at him and patting him lightly on the back. “It’s okay, little guy.”

Janice produced a little bottle that couldn’t hold more than two ounces of formula and handed it to Blair. “Now, run the nipple along his bottom lip. See? He has the instinct to latch on. You’re a natural at this, Dr. Sandburg.”

“It’s just Blair.” He looked over at Jim, his eyes alight and a big grin on his face. 

That ache was back in Jim’s chest at the sight of Blair and the baby. It was clear that Blair was already in love, and Jim knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t say anything about it. He was an incredibly open person in almost all respects, but if he thought Jim would react badly to the idea of a baby he’d save them the trouble of even discussing it, thinking he was doing Jim a favor. It was a wonder Blair and Jim had gotten together at all, with that extra barrier to overcome.

“We’ll put together a little care package for you, so you’ll have the basics when you take the baby home,” Janice said. “And I’ll make sure to include a list of the things you’ll need to purchase.”

“Wait, what? When we what?”

“Don’t worry. You two will do just fine.” Janice patted Blair on the shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

“Jim? Something you want to tell me?”

“They were going to put him in the Children’s Home, Chief.” Jim looked down at the papers still clutched in his hand. “I, uh. I may have said we’d sign up to be foster parents.”

Blair ducked his head, hiding behind his curly hair, and Jim wasn’t sure how to read that. “I thought we talked about you making unilateral decisions, big guy.” His voice was a little rough, and Jim could scent salty tears.

“Nothing’s been finalized yet,” Jim hastened to say. “I just thought…the way you looked…”

Blair maneuvered the baby up to his chest and rubbed his back. There was still a little formula in the bottle but Jim could tell that the little guy had already fallen back asleep. Blair tucked his hair behind his ear and looked at Jim, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

“You always did have a big heart.”

Jim set the papers down on the chair and took the few short steps to join his partner. He squeezed Blair’s shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “We found him. We should be the ones to look after him.”

“Here.” Blair turned and tucked the baby into Jim’s arms. It was like time stopped for just the briefest moment. Jim looked down at that tiny little face, so peaceful in sleep, and he knew that was it. He’d welcome the baby into his life the same way he welcomed Blair, and woe to anyone who tried to stop that from happening.

Jim did a full Sentinel scan, mapping and imprinting. “He’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, he is.” Blair kept one hand on the baby’s little blanket-wrapped foot and one on Jim’s chest. “We never talked about this. Kids, I mean. I didn’t think you’d be into the whole fatherhood thing.”

“I didn’t think I would be either.”

“You know, it’s not unusual to be unaware – consciously, that is – of deep-seated desires until the object of that desire presents itself.”

“If you say so, professor.” Jim looked down at the baby. “You know, even if we get approved to be his foster parents that doesn’t guarantee we’ll get to keep him.”

Funny, how the thought of that was almost a physical pain, when just ten minutes ago having the baby wasn’t even on his radar. He’d never had the best relationship with his own father and it had never occurred to him to consider that he could do better. Or that he should even try.

“I always wanted kids,” Blair said softly. “I don’t know much about being a dad, though I guess I had lots of wannabes to pick and choose the best parts from.”

Jim leaned over and kissed Blair, a quick press of lips to lips. “You’ll be a great dad, Chief. Look how well you’ve been doing with me.”

That got a laugh out of Blair and made the baby stir fitfully. Without even realizing what he was doing Jim started swaying gently from side to side while he patted the baby’s bottom.

“He’s ours, Jim. I can feel it. Call it fate, or destiny, or just lucky happenstance. But this little guy was meant to find us.” Blair brushed his fingers over the baby’s back. 

“Is that the Shaman talking?” Jim asked, half-joking. He’d learned not to second-guess the mystical aspects of the Sentinel-Guide relationship, or the legacy that Incacha had passed down to Blair.

“Maybe. It feels right, that’s all I’m saying.”

Nurse Janice came back in before Jim could get some clarification on that. “You have very good friends, Detective. They’ve arranged for the two of you to stay in one of our empty rooms. Unless you’ve prefer to get some rest at home and come back in the morning?”

Jim looked at Blair. “We’ll stay.”

“I thought so.” She unlocked the wheels on the bassinette. “Baby Doe can sleep in with you.”

Jim was glad she didn’t ask him to relinquish the baby because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to let him go. “Little guy needs a name, Sandburg.” From the pink flush staining Blair’s cheeks it was obvious he already had something in mind. Jim didn’t call him on it; that was better saved for when they were alone.

The room was standard – two hospital beds, a little table with two chairs, a glider rocker, and a small bathroom. Janice parked the bassinette between the beds and locked the wheels back in place.

“Someone will be at the nurse’s station if you need anything. In two hours I’ll be back with another bottle.”

“Thank you,” Blair said. “For everything.”

Janice smiled back at him. “It’s my pleasure. I love a happy ending.” She dimmed the lights on her way out.

Jim took a seat in the rocker and waited for Blair to get comfortable on the nearest bed before asking, “So what name did you have in mind?”

“Geez, am I that obvious?”

“Only to me,” Jim assured him. “Come on, spit it out. Rainbow? Hercules?”

“Actually, and I’m certainly not saying we have to go with it because we both need to decide, I mean we’re in this together and –”

“Blair. Just tell me.”

“Eli. I was thinking…Eli.”

Jim nodded. Blair didn’t need to explain. Eli Stoddard, professional mentor and one time father figure to a very young and needy college student, had passed away about four months ago. Jim looked down at the baby sleeping in his arms, covered hands nestled under his tiny chin. _Eli_.

“I like it,” he said.

Blair looked at him in surprise. “Really? You don’t want to discuss it?”

“He looks like an Eli.” It was the right thing to say, because Blair’s face broke out in a huge smile that made his eyes sparkle.

“When we adopt him he’ll be Eli Ellison.”

“Eli Sandburg Ellison,” Jim corrected. And just like that it became real for him. He wasn’t just holding a baby, he was holding _their_ baby. Their son.

“Jim? You okay?”

All he could do was nod, his throat too tight to let any words through. He got up and joined Blair on the bed, pressing close against him. Blair slipped an arm around Jim’s waist and kissed him, soft and sweet.

“Merry Christmas, Jim.” He leaned down and kissed the baby. “Merry Christmas, Eli.”

Eli snuffled and let out a contented sigh. He spent most of his very first Christmas asleep, wrapped in the warmth of his newly-minted fathers’ love.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** When I was thinking about Christmas fics for this year, I thought about the one I wrote last year and got to wondering about Eli’s origin. Naturally, they couldn’t go about doing things the normal way, and since Jim and Blair were thrown together by fate I thought the same should hold true of their son.
> 
> Merry Christmas, readers!


End file.
